The IOOF Cemetery in
Sonora is one of the county’s oldest, most historic cemeteries, and
is the final resting place of many of the community’s founding members and
honored veterans. The IOOF mission is to visit the sick, relieve the
distressed, bury the dead and educate the orphan. Early Odd Fellows took
burying the dead very seriously, and most lodges purchased cemeteries as
soon as a town was formed. Our cemetery was established in 1856. It is a non endowment cemetery, and receives no funding or maintenance other than what the Sonora lodge members provide. Then, in 2011, a story about the desecration and vandalism of the Sonora Odd Fellows cemetery was published in the local newspaper, and many new members joined to help revive the Lodge's activity and to help preserve the cemetery.

115 West Lytton Street, Sonora CA

(209) 536-8939

Email: sonoraioofcemetery@hotmail.com

IOOF LODGE SONORA #10

For over 80 years (1853 through the 1930's) the Sonora IOOF was the most active service organization in the community and did so much to help this town prosper and get through its hard times. Like most service organizations, membership declined post WWII, and by the 1990's, membership had gotten dangerously low. Our most veteran members were aged and in-firmed, so there was no one to provide care to the lodge or its cemetery. By the end of 2010, the lodge had only five active members, the lodge had no income, and was facing closure. The Sonora Lodge has since undergone major changes, and we've been very excited to give our lodge new life and bring it back to the forefront of service to our community.

Sonora IOOF is committed to raising funds for our community's current and former foster youth, its sick and its elderly. We've established a non-profit foundation to increase our fund raising efforts and provide even more to this community to keep our tradition going!

Lodge meetings are held the first Wednesday of every month at 5:30 pm at our historic lodge!